Turn 1- Teutons
I'm making two assumptions on hotseat mode.
1) Since I've checked the 'auto-resolve' button, it's good to have as many men as you can.
2) Gaius won't be able to access my password-protected turns (Which he wouldn't anyway )

The mighty Teutons start with a selection of captured towns and their infamous brick castles, three priestly agents (Of which 2 are bishops) and a large amount of millitary, alibet few of the heavy cavalry the pagan scum fear. The ability to make a profit on this first turn, however, is very tight, so I'm going to have to wade into an economist's nightmare and spend without a secure back-up plan. Settlements recieve townhalls, farming upgrades and extra garrisons on the frontier, while the garrisoned troops (mostly) march to war.

My plan is to hit Gaius hard, and first. Using my 1st assumption in the OP, I'm going straight in from Mattenburg to the heathen heartlands (Try saying that with your mouthfull!). No time for rebels when God's work is to be done!

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(I have never gotten the fancy thumbnail pic to work, despite studying the code of posts that have them in. If anyone can explain how to put them in, I will love you)

Brother Dietrich leads the largest army on the slow march to Hrodna, a vile town to match it's vile name. Once the mighty Teutons purge it, I shall have to rename it*. Still, it is a few turns away, slowed down by the catapults. I can wait until then.

As you can see from the minimap, the inferior Polish are bordering us. However, I am counting on our parent nation, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Danes to keep them buisy, as well as the lure of lightly defended rebel settlements. I have enough time to replenish the eastern front's garrisons.

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In the North, however, things are progressing far swifter. I direct my brothers in the north to surround the pagan settlements on the baltic coast. They shall hopfully fall to righteous steel next turn.

Despite a general disbanding of naval and surples troops, I still record a large loss. Sadly, I forget just how much, as I didn't get the financial screen before I hit end turn, but next turn I will catch a snap.

*To rename settlements, open the scroll for it and click on the name at the top. When you see the friendly 'line', that means you can delete, rename and add to the names of settlements. Adds a bit more flavour.

One sally later and Siauliai is free of Teutonic infestation. I even released the prisoners from the battle to give my general good stats. Palanga is still under siege so I'll have to do something about that. There's a rather large army making its way east from Marienburg. I think I'll put on the kettle for them. They are sure to be thirsty when they arrive.

Lithuania is surrounded on both sides by the Teutons so it means that initially I only have to fight them. Now if Novgorod decide to fight him in the north or the Poles attack to the west, EoJ could be in quite a spot of bother.

What's interesting about the Teutons is that they can only build their best units if their regions are at least 70% catholic. They need to be 80% for the Ritterbruder units. Still, EoJ isn't going to be able to afford to build the higher barracks for some time, let alone recruit the units.

Fraps doesn't seem to be working so you'll have to picture the nailbiting strategy through my flowery prose.

(I have never gotten the fancy thumbnail pic to work, despite studying the code of posts that have them in. If anyone can explain how to put them in, I will love you)

Go into photobucket, check the boxes next to the pictures you want thumbnails of, go to the bottom of the page and click the 'Generate html and img code' button, then you will see a list of code entitled clickable thumbnails for message boards (recommended) or something like that. Copy the code from that box and paste it here. Hey Presto! You now have thumbnails!

Be wary of light garrisons on novgrood borders EoJ because they eventually attack.

All I can say is, good luck Gaius. Lithuania is definitely at a disadvantage I've found.

True but I have a plan.

Be wary of light garrisons on novgrood borders EoJ because they eventually attack.

I'm keeping a large amount of troops up there, hence why I have smaller armies attacking from the north.

Turn 2 to follow shortly.

Finally got my images to work.

Turn 2-

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Remember what I said about money? Yeah, it's tight. Gaius sent me an e-mail saying that I won't be able to get the best troops because he's put a priest in one of my reigons. With this ecomany, I couldn't care.

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A new Brother. He's off somewhere to the north to take over this new settlement...

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A small amount of cash, but the Order need every florin. Where are those crusading nobles when you need them? Still, one settlement down.

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I abandon my siege engines and march on the capital. I need the money, and so I'm going for juicy settlements. A large garrison, though, but God will guide our swords.

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Market warfare. Coming off the tar, I rob the Lithuanian merchant.

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I gather my forces and march again to the town the pagan scum relieved last turn. Out of movement points, my brother Teutonics spot a large scummic army. Oh, dear.

Poland near Thorn have a half stack army and a diplomat looking to head for the castle. They won't turn on christian soldiers, will they?

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End of turn report. I'll have 4,500 to kick around next turn. Deary me.

Well I guess not a great deal has happened but this is looking good, gentlemen.

Oh and Jupitor by the way I'm sorry if I was mean to ham... I guess I've gotten so many snotty "use the search function" messages that I forgot myself.

I'm þorovghly enjoying þis blow-by-blow deskription of yovr kampaign. Please kontinve.

Also, kovld yov post a skreenshot of Gaivs' priest vnit? Does it even look any different þan yovr normal priest?

It actually looks a little like a heretic.

Oddly I can't get my fraps to work but my pagan kingdom has seen off another threat and I have a longer term plan that EoJ will not be expecting. It wouldn't remotely work against the AI but EoJ's forces are stretched.

Oh and Jupitor by the way I'm sorry if I was mean to ham... I guess I've gotten so many snotty "use the search function" messages that I forgot myself.

N/p. We've all done it

Oddly I can't get my fraps to work

No photoshop? If you do, press printscreen. Then to the tgas file on the main M2TW folder, then save the screenies as JPEGs or BMP or something.

I'm realising Gaius is gaining a sneaky advantage over me- not describing fully his turns

Woah, Gaius's full stack army looks like causing havoc in the region.

He's going to steamroll you if you don't watch out EoJ.

I propose a diplomatic meeting between me and you on MSN.

Sorry for the delay, guys- I had a last-few-days coursework crash. I'm sure you all understand
Turn 3 to be up soon.

A Cherub doing homework.

That's not a good sign and you aren't upholding traditon.

Shh
Well, finished it, and played it. Sorry for the delay, folks. Won't happen again.

Not much I could do this turn (Or, much that I can show you), so I'll focus on the northern stacks the pagans are sending. God help us all.

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Our holy treasury. We are nearly out of money!

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In the north our bretheren come from the danish front to help relieve the garrison- or to inflict some casulties.

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A draw. But the odds have considerably shortened. We are heartened by this.

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Even better! Against the pagan King's orders, the enemy general has ransomed them! This man may make a good Christian yet!

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My smallest loss yet- things seem to be turning around.

However, I've given the pagan commander a choice- take my settlement and risk loosing his other. Which one shall he go for?

your settlement is better to take =\

Shh

So, what's happening with this? Has it been discontinued?

I've been in Berlin for the last few days but I'll be doing the next turn after the upcoming forum party

in kingdoms, is it still possible to play grand campian with all the factions like in vanilla?

EoJ has recovered quite well since I last played this game.

In the last turn, I decided to send a priest into Marienburg to see what kind of forces he has there. I notice that the sly old dog has signed an alliance with the Poles. I wonder how much it would cost to make them break it....


Riga is a fine prize so I took that. Sadly I had to exterminate the population. I sometimes have trouble sleeping at night you know.


I had enough movement left to move towards Windau.


Back to the current turn. EoJ isn't taking that lying down and has sieged both my capital Vilnius and Siauliai. Has he fallen into a trap I wonder. My full stack is torn. What can those generals do? Shall I move east to defend my towns or move north and take Palanga which is a nice castle.

Thats so damn cool I reckon... can't wait for the day when total war can introduce the Multiplayer Online Hotseat mode. Which hopefully will happen sometime in the future since there is just so much demand for it for one.

Regards,
SCipii

I've just got the turn e-mail, so I'll be trying to stage a comeback soon

Hint: Use order spearmen. They are decent in standard battle and god-like in auto resolve. 4 of them can defeat a full stack of various pagan units on auto resolve.

How is this going for everyone?

We apologise for the (large) break, but first I got a corrupted save and Gaius buggered off to France We'll be getting it rolling soon.